Cubs starting catcher Welington Castillo is disabled list bound with a rib cage injury suffered Sunday and they’ve called up journeyman backup catcher Eli Whiteside from Triple-A to replace him on the roster.
Chicago also welcomed Hector Rondon back from paternity leave and designated for assignment reliever Jose Veras, who was signed to a one-year, $4 million deal this offseason with the idea that he’d serve as the team’s closer. Instead he ended up saving zero games before being dropped with an 8.10 ERA in 13 innings.
Veras has generally been a setup-caliber reliever and as recently as last season had a 3.02 ERA with 60 strikeouts in 62 innings for the Tigers and Astros, but it seems unlikely that another team would want to take on his remaining salary via waiver claim.